In January 2006, 53-year-old resident alien Eduardo Jose Ribaya entered into a plea agreement after pleading guilty to dogfighting and drug charges in Vancouver, Washington. He will serve 368 days in state prison and faces possible deportation.
Ribaya admitted to possessing, owning, keeping or training two dogs with the intent to use them in animal fights, a misdemeanor at the time Ribaya was charged. He also confessed to possessing more than 40 grams of marijuana, a felony under Washington law.
Vancouver police seized 21 pit bulls, along with training logs, veterinary supplies, and other items commonly associated with dogfighting during the October 2004 raid on Ribaya’s rental home near Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park.
“Although Ribaya escaped a felony dogfighting conviction this time,” said WCRO Director Eric Sakach, “the case against him
led Washington lawmakers to close a loophole in the law and make it a felony to own, possess, breed, train, buy, and sell animals for fights.”
Sakach, who was subpoenaed to appear as an expert for the prosecution in the case against Ribaya, was also familiar with Ribaya’s criminal history. “Eduardo Ribaya is no stranger to the criminal justice system,” said Sakach. “He was convicted for his role in organizing a regional dogfighting championship in San Francisco a decade earlier, and he had his sentence extended while serving time on that case after it was determined that he had dozens more fighting dogs being maintained by a partner in nearby Alameda County in violation of his probationary terms.”
Washington’s revised law also makes it a felony to promote, organize, or advertise animal fights; to transport spectators to animal fights; to act as a stakeholder for money wagered on animal fights; and to seize stray dogs or steal pets to enter into animal fights or for use as “bait” in training dogs for fights.
